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Why Try Altitude Training at Home?

Can't make a camp or move to the mountains? Portable altitude training is the next frontier in performance.

"The record has shown that since 1968, 95% of all Olympic and World Championship medals from the 800 through the Marathon were won by athletes who lived or trained at altitude. It can therefore be concluded that altitude training is necessary for success in endurance events." – Dr. Joe Vigil, 2008 USA Olympic Team Running Coach

It was the 1968 Mexico City Summer Olympics where altitude training first caught the attention of the endurance world. In these games, in the thin air of 7,000 feet, runners who had spent time living and training in high altitude environments significantly out performed those who came from at or near sea level. Though it was not fully understood at the time, the high altitude athletes arrived in Mexico City with distinct physiological advantages over their competition.

Why altitude works

Today altitude training is universally accepted as the most effective way to maximize one’s potential in endurance events. Though the above quote from Dr. Vigil in this context focuses solely on the running discipline, it’s not hard to extrapolate it across all three sports that make up IRONMAN.

For decades, triathletes have been flocking to high altitude training havens like Boulder and St. Moritz to soak up the performance boosting adaptations of altitude training. The result? Countless personal records set and IRONMAN world champions made.

Like the Mexico City Olympic Games, altitude training is even more important to athletic success when the event takes place at high elevation. With the addition of IRONMAN Boulder and IRONMAN Lake Tahoe in the last two years, it’s critical that athletes tackling these challenges account for the altitude variable before race day.

In addition to acclimatization, the benefits of altitude training include:

Amplified pulmonary oxygen absorption

Increased O2 uptake and delivery (VO2max) for enhanced power output and increased speed, strength and endurance

Boosted production of Erythropoietin Hormone (EPO) by the kidneys, stimulating generation of Red Blood Cells (RBCs) and enhanced oxygen transportation through the body

Increased capillarization for greater oxygen delivery to the tissues, muscles and brain

Enhanced production and rejuvenation of mitochondria (the cell’s hub for aerobic energy production) and mitochondrial enzymes, allowing more efficient use of oxygen

Decreased average heart rate and blood pressure

Increased production and release of Human Growth Hormone

Stimulation of fat metabolism

Altitude at home

Many athletes relocate for part of the year, or attend altitude training camps. Most athletes, however, don't have the time, money, or flexibility to spend six to eight weeks at altitude to ensure proper acclimatization before their goal event. But fortunately sea-level athletes—like IRONMAN World Championship runner up Luke McKenzie—can achieve the same adaptations from home, without the expense or inconvenience of travelling.

"San Diego is one of the best places in the world to train year-round," says McKenzie. "The only thing we don’t have is altitude." While some athletes go to Boulder to train for the summer, McKenzie uses the Hypoxico Altitude Training system at home in the comfort of his own training "den."

In addition to providing pre-race acclimatization for high elevation events like IRONMAN Boulder and IRONMAN Lake Tahoe, simulated altitude technology also helps sea level athletes level the playing field against those who live and train at altitude. "Since most of my competitors will do an altitude camp at some point during the year, using Hypoxico sleep systems and performing high altitude intervals on my trainer will be a big part of my build towards Kona," McKenzie adds.

If you're training for a race like IRONMAN Boulder or IRONMAN Lake Tahoe, or either of those venues' IRONMAN 70.3 races, or if you’re simply looking to gain a performance edge, investing in altitude training can really pay off. Whether your goal is to win or simply to finish and have a good time, altitude training will allow you to bring your best to the start line. Here’s to a successful season of IRONMAN racing!

This article is sponsored by Hypoxico Altitude Training Systems. Visit their website for more information on the benefits of altitude training, and for their full suite of products and services.